Washer-extractor



Oct. 8, 1963 w. L. BYRNE I 3,106,106

WASHER-EXTRACTOR Filed Jan. 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ILNVENTUR WILLIAM LLEIYD EYRNE Oct. 8, 1963 w. L. BYRNE 3,106,106

WASHER-EXTRACTOR Filed Jan. 29, 1962 35heets-Sheet 2 "M HH HNvENTm: WILLIAM LLUVD v EIYRNE JEEP 2 M QMtm/ Oct. 8, 1963 w. L. BYRNE 3,106,105

WASHER-EXTRACTOR Tiled Jan. 29, 1962 z Sheets-Sheet s IFI E. 4

HNvENTuR WILLIAM LLEIYD BYRNE A FD RN EY United States Patent 3,106,106 WASHER-EXTRACTOR William L. Byrne, 1049 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,530 4 Claims. (Cl. 74661) This invention relates to a washing and extracting machine particularly of the commercial type. The invention is herein illustrated in a twin-Washer-extractor construction, although it may be used in a single washerextractor device or in multiples thereof.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a heavy duty machine which will wash and damp dry up to twenty-five pounds in each cylinder. The cylinders are mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis in each instance.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide an extremely rigid structure which will avoid any extreme vibration due to eccentric loading of the cylinders.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide a drive of the cylinder, one cylinder separately from the other, wherein two speeds of the cylinder may be had, a slower speed for washing and a higher speed for extracting.

Further important objects of the invention reside in the fact that no gears are employed, and no variable speed clutches are required.

The invention finds widespread usage in commercial laundries, and also in the so-called self-service establishments where there is no operator attendant and customers load and unload the machines. The entire construction is characterized by having long life, free from the usual expensive maintenance.

One particular form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a twin machine;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale in vertical section on the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section on a reduced scale on the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale in vertical section through the machine cylinder drive shaft mounting; and

FIG. 5 is a view in detail in vertical elevation and section through a drive clutch.

A rugged, structural iron base generally designated by the numeral is constructed to have vertical end posts 11 and 12 for each unit. These posts 11 and 12 in the present showing are lengths of channel iron. A horizontally disposed angle iron 13 is secured to the lower back sides of these posts 11, 12, and in the present showing, extends entirely across the two units. An intermediate channel iron 14 extends across the rear sides of the posts 11, and 12 to be secured thereto. At the same elevation on the forward sides of the posts, FIG. 2, there is a like channel iron 15 extending entirely thereacross.

A cylinder carrying shaft 16 is carried through bearings 17 and 18 fixed to these horizontal irons 14 and 15 respectively, FIGS. 2 and 4. This shaft 16 passes through a water seal generally designated by the numeral 19, through the back wall 20 of a cylinder housing generally designated by the numeral 21, wherein the end of the shaft 16 engages with a rotating cylinder 22 having a perforate wall 23. The sole support for this cylinder 22 is on the shaft 16. Entrance to the cylinder 22 is had in the usual manner through a front door 24.

The housings 21 are mounted on horizontally disposed ironwork including angle irons 27 extending from front to rear of the base. Drain pipes a are fixed to the floors of the housings 21, these floors being designated by the numeral 25b which is spaced above the base floor 26. The control valve for flow of fluid through the drain pipes 25a are not shown since these do not enter into the invention per se but are well known as to construction and operation to those versed in the art.

A V-belt pulley 28 is fixed on the shaft 16 to rotate therewith. A V-belt 29 is trained around the pulley 28 and around a lower pulley 30 which is mounted on the armature shaft 38 of an electric motor 31. The motor 31 is mounted on a bar 32 which is hinged at one end by a pin 33 to the vertical post 11. The motor 31 hangs in effect on the belt 29.

A second motor 34 is mounted on the bar 32 and has a V-belt pulley 35 on its armature shaft, and around which pulley 35 is a V-belt 36 trained around a larger diameter pulley 37 on the end of the armature shaft of the motor 31, the shaft 38 of the motor 31, extends from both ends of the motor, so that the pulley 30 is carried on the one end of this armature shaft and the pulley 37 is carried on the other end.

The pulley 28 is of larger diameter than is the pulley 3g, and the pulley 37 is of larger diameter than the pulley In the hubof the pulley 37 there is installed a clutch of the over-running type, FIG. 5. The hub designated by the numeral 39 has an interior bore 40 receiving therein with a running fit a clutch member 41 which is fixed to the shaft 38. Around the member 41 are a plurality of cavities 42, each of which has a floor 43 entering from the periphery of the member 41 on a chordal plane, and extending to an end abutment 44 which is substantially at right angles to the floor 43. In each of these cavities 42 is carried a ball 45 of that diameter which will be free to roll toward the abutment 44 when the clutch member 41 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, FIG. 5, and will tend to wedge between the wall of the counterbore 40 and the floor 43 when the member 41 is turned in a clockwise direction. This overrunning clutch is of a well known design, and is shown and described herein as one possible form of such a clutch performing the desired operation further to be explained. A cap 46 is fixed to the outer face of the hub 39 of the pulley to retain the ball bearings in place, and the pulley revolubly mounted on the shaft 38, the center of the plate having a screw therethrough for that purpose entering the end of the shaft 38, this screw being designated by the numeral 47.

Operation To set up a turning of the cylinder 22 for a washing operation, the motor 34 is energized and the motor 31 remains deenergized. Thus the pulley 37 is turned, and turns the pulley 35 through the overrunning clutch member 41 in turn rotating the armature shaft of the motor 31. The shaft of the motor 31, designated by the numeral 38, in turn turns the pulley 30 and drives the belt 29 to rot-ate the pulley 28 and consequently the shaft 16 to which it is mounted and finally rotate the cylinder 22 which is mounted on the shaft 16. The ratios of diameters between the various pulleys and the speed of the motor 34 are such that the cylinder will be turned at approximately forty-two revolutions per minute which is the desired washing speed in this heavy duty washer.

After the washing cycle has been completed, the motor 34 will be deenergized and the motor 31 energized so that the cylinder 22 is then rotated directly from the motor 31, through the belt 29 the pulley 28 and the shaft 16. In this direct drive, the motor 34 is not power driven from the motor 31 in view of the presence of the overrunning clutch. The speed of the motor 31 and the ratio of the diameters of the pulleys 28 and 31 are such that the shaft 16 will be driven at a higher rate of speed than when it is driven only by the motor 34. This is the speed for extracting fluid from the materials in the cylinder 22, and this speed is substantially at five hundred and seventy revolutions per minute to accomplish the extraction for damp drying of the materials.

The automatic electrical controls of both the cycles of washing and of extracting including the admission of warm and cold Waters in the washing and rinsing operation and the draining of the fluid in the extracting operation are not shown or described since these controls and their operations are well known to those versed in the art and do not per se enter into the invention.

It is to be seen that in this unique drive employing the two motors, when the motor 34 which may be of lower horsepower rating such as one-half horsepower, is energized, it will be turning the armature in the motor 31 and this armature serves as a flywheel in the drive from the motor 34 to the cylinder 22. The motor 31 may be of a higher horsepower rating than that of the motor 34, such as three-fourths horsepower in order to maintain the speed of the cylinder desired for extracting fluid from the materials therein. Thus a two speed drive is had simply by selective energizing of the two motors 31, 34, 'all with out having to shift gears or operate clutches electrically or manually or hydraulically. This simple drive construction avoids excessive maintenance otherwise required for speed change mechanisms as indicated. The mountin of the motors 31 and 34 on the bar 32 rocking on the pin 33 maintains a tension on the belt 29, which is the longer of the two belts employed, and also which is the one which ultimately turns at a higher speed than does the shorter belt 36. The bar 32 is limited in its possible upwardly turning by having a bolt 49 rockably mounted on the angle iron 13. FIG. 1, such as through the pivot pin 50, and the bolt carries a nut 51 above the bar 32 through which it passes. The weight of the motors will of course tend to drop the bar 32 in a downward direction which is, as above indicated, limited by the lengths of the belt 29.

Therefore it is to be seen that I have provided an exceedingly simple structure for both Washing and extracting purposes, and particularly an exceedingly simple structure in the drive of the cylinder in the washer-extractor operations. Furthermore by mounting the shaft 16 horizontally across the rigid structural supporting members, vibration is reduced to an extreme minimum, and does not afiect the driving mechanisms. This is particularly true in that any slight vibration tended to be set up is damped out by reason of the inner position of the armature of the larger motor 31 in the drive serving as a flywheel as has been indicated. Thus I do not desire to be limited to that precise structure illustrated and described beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a washer-extractor machine,

a rigid frame;

a housing fixed on the frame;

a cylinder within the housing;

a cylinder drive shaft extending horizontally across and revolubly carried by said frame, entering said housing and carrying said cylinder to rotate with said shaft on a horizontal axis;

a motor carried by said frame;

a second motor carried by the frame;

a pulley fixed on said shaft;

a second pulley fixed on the armature shaft of said first motor;

a belt entrained about said two pulleys;

a third pulley on said first motor shaft;

a fourth pulley fixed on the shaft of said second motor;

a belt entrained about said third and fourth pulleys;

and

said second motor, when energized, driving said cylinder drive shaft through said first motor in a deenergized state.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which bearings are fixed on said frame and constitute the sole support of said cylinder shaft and the cylinder.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which there is an overrunning clutch carried by said first motor shaft between it and said third pulley drivingly interconnecting said third pulley with the shaft of the first motor causing rotation of the first motor shaft upon energization of the second motor;

the size ratios of said pulleys setting up a lower cylinder shaft speed by said second motor, than the shaft speed driven by said first motor, thereby providing a washing cylinder speed by the second motor and an extracting speed by the first motor.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which there is a cylinder vibration absorbing member between said first pulley and said second motor rotated by said second motor when driving the shaft of the first motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A WASHER-EXTRACTOR MACIHNE, A RIGID FRAME; A HOUSING FIXED ON THE FRAME; A CYLINDER WITHIN THE HOUSING; A CYLINDER DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS AND REVOLUBLY CARRIED BY SAID FRAME ENTERING SAID HOUSING AND CARRYING SAID CYLINDER TO ROTATE WITH SAID SHAFT ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS; A MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID FRAME; A SECOND MOTOR CARRIED BY THE FRAME; A PULLEY FIXED ON SAID SHAFT; A SECOND PULLEY FIXED ON THE ARMATURE SHAFT OF SAID FIRST MOTOR; A BELT ENTRAINED ABOUT SAID TWO PULLEYS; A THIRD PULLEY ON SAID FIRST MOTOR SHAFT; A FOURTH PULLEY FIXED ON THE SHAFT OF SAID SECOND MOTOR; A BELT ENTRAINED ABOUT SAID THIRD AND FOURTH PULLEYS; AND SAID SECOND MOTOR, WHEN ENERGIZED, DRIVING SAID CYLINDER DRIVE SHAFT THROUGH SAID FIRST MOTOR IN A DEENERGIZED STATE. 